Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

Guatemalan Contract St Chamond 70mm Mountain Gun

May 2, 2026 Ian McCollum 0

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_D__TREMENDOUS_HIGH_CONDITION_WWI_ERA_70MM_ST_CHAM-LOT657316.aspx Despite the French Army adopting a 65mm mountain gun in 1906, several French companies – including St Chamond and Schneider – developed their own mountain gun designs in the years […]

ZB-26 vs Bren LMGs (w/ John Keene)

May 1, 2026 Ian McCollum 15

ZB-26 Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_N__UTTERLY_FANTASTIC_CONDITION_WWII_GERMAN_NAZI_P-LOT655878.aspx Today John Keene and I are comparing two light machine guns: the Czech ZB-26 and the British Bren. Of course, the Bren is a development of the ZB, so […]

Hungarian 48M Sniper Mosin (aka M52)

April 29, 2026 Ian McCollum 1

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__HUNGARIAN_91_30_M52_7_62X54MMR_BOLT_ACTION_SNI-LOT666019.aspx Under the Stalinist government that took control of Hungary in 1948, the Hungarian military adopted a whole suite of Soviet small arms. This included the M91/30 Mosin Nagant as the […]

The First Military Luger: Swiss Model 1900 s/n 01

April 27, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

Available from Morphy’s here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__IMPORTANT_FIRST_EVER_PRODUCED_DWM_1900_SWISS_L-LOT658702.aspx The first nation to adopt the Luger was Switzerland, which began testing in late 1898 and formally accepted the Luger in May 1900. Their guns were the first Lugers to […]

Q&A April 2026: The Good, the Bad, and the Really Dumb

April 25, 2026 Ian McCollum 27

Today’s Q&A is sponsored by Kyrö – get 10% off all their spirits with code SAUNAWHISKY10 at: https://www.kyrodistillery.com 00:01:25 – The .30-06 experimental Thompson Thompson 1923 auto-rifle video: https://youtu.be/EMO4o4yANpY Thompson .30 Carbine prototype: https://youtu.be/lW-IjtiVthc Previous […]

Model 1867 Trapdoor: A Unique Rifle for West Point Cadets

April 24, 2026 Ian McCollum 4

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_A__SPRINGFIELD_MODEL_1867_TRAPDOOR_CADET_STYLE_RI-LOT661752.aspx When the US military academy at West Point opened in 1802, one of the things it did was train cadets in rifle drill. The cadets were as young as 14 […]

M26 MASS (Modular Accessory Shotgun System)

April 22, 2026 Ian McCollum 43

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_N__VERTU_CORP_C_MORE_COMPETITION_M26_MASS_12_GAUG-LOT661207.aspx The M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (MASS) was designed by C-More Products company as a new shotgun option for the US military. First prototyped in 1999, it was not actually […]

Late-War Commercial K98k – Production in 1944 But Not for the Wehrmacht

April 20, 2026 Ian McCollum 25

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__RARE_LATE_WAR_COMMERCIAL_GUSTLOFF_WERKE_BCD_4_-LOT662278.aspx Late in 1944, a number of small companies assembled a batch of K98k rifles and commercially proofed them. These are a known group of guns to the collecting community, although […]

Aimpoint ICE: A More Aesthetic 1990s Prototype Red Dot

April 18, 2026 Ian McCollum 5

https://youtu.be/GfIAE4PFJyQ During the 1990s, Aimpoint had a product developed who thought it would be good to develop a new red dot sight that had a more curved, organic look to it. The design he came […]

Franchi LF-57 vs Colt SMG (w/ John Keene)

April 17, 2026 Ian McCollum 12

LF-57 Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_N__MARS_EQUIPMENT_CORP_FRANCHI_M1962_MACHINE_GUN_-LOT667044.aspx Today John Keene and I are comparing and contrasting a pair of quite different submachine guns. One is a Franchi LF-57, a rare second generation stamped Italian design very […]